Local men walk free in bar brawl case

| 25/05/2016 | 15 Comments
Cayman News Service

Cayman Islands courts, George Town

(CNS): Two men from North Side walked away from court free men Wednesday after they were found not guilty of grievous bodily harm in relation to a bar brawl last year in which the victim lost an eye. Eatton Brown (23) and Odain Ebanks (21) were acquitted after more than a week-long trial in which the men said that they had not started the fight and were defending themselves. The victim lost his eye in the fight at the Evaglow bar in Bodden Town when he was pelted and hit with broken bottles.

Brown and Ebanks, who sustained a head wound from a blade during the brawl, claimed that the complainant was armed with a box cutter and had started the fight. There was conflicting evidence, during the trial from the victim who gave two different accounts about where he had been injured, telling the police in the immediate wake of the incident that it was outside the bar but then in court saying it was inside.

None of the witnesses who gave evidence had seen the full incident from start to finish so the picture of what actually happened during the bar brawl was unclear. The court also heard that the victim was less concerned over prosecuting his alleged assailants as he was with securing financial compensation for the loss of his eye and to cover his extensive medical bills as he had no health insurance.

The crown had prosecuted the case on the basis of joint enterprise, claiming Ebanks and Brown had started the fight and deliberately set out to cause the victim serious harm when they beat and kicked him, as well as hitting and pelting him with bottles. Although the men had admitted that bottles were thrown they claimed it was all in self-defence after the complainant had started the brawl and had used the box cutter to stab Ebanks in the head.

It took the jury around two hours to return their not guilty verdict.

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Category: Courts, Crime

Comments (15)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Well, in this particular situation all of the defendants were wrong, as I was present start to finish! Thats why I say it was a waste of time to even take the matter to court! There will ALWAYS be brawls at Everglo bar (in particular) but brawls happen everywhere, an it does not always include “lowlife bums” … && Hello I was born in the U.S but I’m Caymanian from head to toe, mother an father are both Caymanian by birth with a family tree 3/4 centuries long, so exactly what defines Caymanian????

  2. Common Sense says:

    In these days if you’re defending yourself after an incident already began but you’re not the one seriously harmed it is you the fault tries to go on , why? Were you not defending yourself from that same person whom harmed you ? Or is it because you didn’t take it lightly ( as no one should when there life is benign threatened ) to retaliate unfortunately not planning on that person loosing there eye , yet they were the ones who started it. Of course they deserve not guilty cause it’s not there fault , the ‘victim’ shouldn’t have had a box cutter while attending bar whereas his wounds were affected by bar props (bottles) so clearly self defense .

  3. Sharkey says:

    Do we see how easy that your case can get twisted up and lose your case when you’re the victim , when you don’t get a copy of your original statement, your statement become discredited when you don’t remember what you said and says one word different in court, or the officer makes an error in writing the statement , that’s why it is important for you to read what you said in that statement and get a copy of it . Because all human are subject to make mistake .

  4. Anonymous says:

    cayman justice…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, we must do away with needing to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Lower the bar … uhm, wait, we may want to think this one through. – Blind Justice

  5. Worthless expat says:

    Typical low life fight what’s the point of the RCIPS wasting there time, they probably got no real help from either side or any witnesses

  6. Anonymous says:

    How did the victim have no health insurance. Was he employed? Was his spouse employed? Was he an indigent?

    • Anonymous says:

      6:12, have you ever seen the lowlifes that hang around the Evaglow bar or the Coe Wood public beach? Health insurance bobo? Seriously?? They are derelicts, do no work, drink booze all day long and when drunk finally after soaking up a crapload of booze, they get aggressive. Where do they get the money for the booze? Good question.Probably Social Services.Oh, and by the way, though they listen mindlessly to very loud Jamaican music, they are Caymanian-born ones.

      • Anonymous says:

        Being born here does not (by itself) make someone Caymanian. Just sayin.

        • Jotnar says:

          Do tell, as I am confused, what does make a Caymanian – the rules seem to change all the time. First its period of residence, then its “came through pain not plane” (or canoe), now its what exactly? Multi generational? or just not being involved in anything, whether criminal, sexual orientation or religious belief that discomfort’s other Caymanians? Just so the driftwood can understand where the line begins and ends – as opposed to the perfectly clear cut legal definition, that is.

      • Anonymous says:

        Even if born here, they are still Jamaicans.

        • Anonymous says:

          Why do you bother with this endless Cayman/Jamaican thing? It just proves your ignorance and racism and nothing else. If they got Cayman passports, they are Caymanian. End of.

          • Anonymous says:

            So if my Swedish parents were visiting China where I was born, that makes me Chinese…?

          • Anonymous says:

            Actually having a caymanian passport does not make you a caymanian. You can get a Caymanian passport with naturalisation. You get to be “Caymanian” by status. 2 differemt things.

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